Cover strut



May 19, 1936. H. w. ROBINSON 2,041,617

COVER STRUT I Filed VSept. 6, 1935 Patente-d May 19, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE COVER STRUT Henry Walter Robinson, Toronto, 0ntario, Can- Canada Application September 6, 1935, Serial No. 39,407

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in burial vaults, and the object of the invention is to devise a vault which may be opened and supported in the open position by one man with a minimum amount of effort and in which there is no danger of the bell falling from its supported position causing injury to the attendant, and it consists of a base and a bell pivoted on the base at one end, a bell supporting strut mounted towards the opposite end of the bell, and means for automatically raising the strut to the bell supporting position as the bell is raised and permitting the lowering of the strut when released from its bell supporting position as the bell is lowered as hereinafter more particularly explained by the following specification:-

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view through my vault on line I-I Fig. 3 showing the vault in the closed position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 showing the vault in the open position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan View on line 3-3 Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional plan detail of the engaged parts locking the strut in the raised posit-ion.

In the drawing like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views.

I is the base member of the vault and 2 the bell member which members are formed at 3 and 4 to provide a hinge connection between the base I and bell 2. 5 is a set up portion for the purpose of supporting the casket above the water level which might be formed therearound by water collecting in the bottom of the dug grave. The edges of the bell are turned inward at 2X and upward at 20 so as to form a vertical flange surrounding the portion 5 and spaced a short distance therefrom and over the front portion of which the locking bolts 6 extend to secure the bell in the closed position. The bolts 6 are operated by the levers 'I connected at their inner ends to a pull wire 8 extending through the wall of the bell and provided with a ring 9 serving 'as a handle. When the handle 9 is pulled the bolts 6 are withdrawn freeing the bell to allow it to be raised by the springs I4.

I0 is a plate which is secured to a vertical side face of the portion 5 and provided with a longitudinal slot |0 having an edge notch |00 at its front end. II is a strut lever pivoted at IIX to the opposing face of the bell 2, the lower end being provided with a laterally extending pin IIl extending into the slot I 0X to engage the notch |00 and at its upper end with a counterweighting portion I0. I2 is a tension spring connected to the lever II below its pivot and to the opposite end of which is secured a pull wire I3 also passing through the front wall of the bell and provided with a ring I3X. |30 is a hook carried by the front wall of the bell adjacent the centre thereof.

When it is desired to raise the bell the ring I3 is pulled against the tension of the spring I2 and engaged over the hook |30 thus holding the spring I2 in tension as indicated in Fig. l. The handle 9 is then pulled withdrawing the bolts 6. The rear end of the bell is tilted back on the hinge 3, 4 so as to carry front end of the bell 2 upward by means of the springs I4 and the lower end of the lever I I is drawn forward by means of the spring I2 against the action of the counterweight II0 carrying the pin II1 longitudinally of the slot |0X towards the notch |00. The bell iS then raised further manually until the pin enters A the notch I00 so as to support the bell in the raised position.

When it is desired to lower the bell the ring |3 is taken off the hook |30 allowing the spring I2 and wire I3 to slacken. The front end of the bell is then raised slightly manually, the counter- Weight I|0 then acting to swing the lower end of the lever upward and the pin IIl out of engagement of the notch |00. The front end of the bell may then be lowered, the pin |1 sliding rearward in the slot I0X.

From this description it will be seen that I have devised a support for the front end of the bell when raised so that it will not inadvertently trip and allow the bell to fall obviating the liability oi injury to the operator.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A strut support between a base member and a bell comprising a lever pivoted to the bell and forwardly inclined at its upper end and counterweighted, a notched portion carried by the base, and spring means for pulling the lower end of the lever into engagement with the notch as the bell is raised, and releasable means for holding the spring means in tension.

2. A strut support between a base member and a bell comprising a lever pivoted to the bell and forwardly inclined at its upper end, a notched portion carried by the base, a pull wire extending freely through the front of the bell, a tension spring connecting the inner end of the wire to the strut lever, means for releasably holding the opposite end of the wire with the spring in tension, and a counterweight at the upper end of the strut lever for automatically releasing the strut lever from the notch when the wire is released.

HENRY WALTER ROBINSON. 

